Agricultural spraying.



CY R1111 BACKUS CLARK, 0F NEW YORK, N. $5., .ASSIGNOR T0 THQMSEN @HEMEGAL $0., or

BALTIMURE, MARYLAND, A GOEPURATIQN OF Ito Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CruinlBAonus CLARK,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Agricultural Spraying, out which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the preparation and employment of a spray 'niaterial adapted forithe spraying of fruit trees, shade trees, shrubs, truck-crops and other or similar plants for the purpose of killing injurious insects, mites, fungus growth or similar infesting growth or growths, or to prevent or mitigate conditions produced by them or any of them; among such iniesting growths,

. I include the San Jose scale, the oyster shell scale, the red spider, the apple leaf scab, the apple leaf spot and other similar plant afilictions, pests or affections. I

l have discovered that a substance containing barium tetrasulfid, when properly commingled and treated with water, and applied in the form of a spray in they manner usual for such applications, to the aflected plants, is an efficient remedy for such plant aiilictions as the San Jose scale, the

oyster shell scale, which are insects, and the apple scab and the apple leaf spot, which are fungus growths.

In the following 1 illustrate my inven tion by examples but I desire to be distinctly understood as not being limited by the precise conditions or proportions or amounts therein since these may be altered or.

changed within wide limits without departing from the spirit, and while obtaining the full effect and benefit of my invention.

Example I-Producing barium tetrasulfirl. Place in an open boileryfitted with lead steam-coils, 5 0 lbs. of crude barium sulfid,

rator is provided with a suitable stirrer and operated during the evaporation in such a Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented Apr, 223, rote,

Application filed September 10, 19M. Serial its, delimit.

manner as to prevent the crystals from depositing at or in the bottom; and to be substantially uniformly distributed through the material during this evaporation; a draft is maintained in the evaporator by means of a steam jet so that the condensed water from the evaporator is removed without-the introduction of air, that is to say in a non-oxidizing atmosphere; a draft of one halt inch or water has been found suitable.

The product thus obtained is in a finely divided state, and dissolves readily in cold water, except for about 5% of insoluble matter, contained therein. v

A fair average analysis oi? this product is as follows:

Interpreting this analysis in the manner customary among chemists the following proximate composition is deduced:

BaS,H,O 82.32% .Excess sulfur 9'.51% BaS Q, 6 36% Impurities 1.81%

It will be noted that my new substance is in the form of a dry, or substantially dry, powder or ulverulent material. condition a solutely unique in this class of This is a materials, all of which are pulps and is one long striven for in this art. It is as edicient as any of the known materials of this same general class, and has the advantage over all of them of being in a concentratedform and relatively very permanent or stable; among the collateral advantages is the absence of inert material in any substantial proportion, thus reducing the cost of ship,-

ment and of package and of enabling the user to prepare a spraying material when and inthe quantities needed,

lln the following examples I illustrate the manner of applying this, my, new spray material for the purpose of controlling or destroying the specified plant amictions'."

Ewample M de on insecticrideum'ag against Sara Jose scale.

Llreat the product of Enample it" with wa- Mid ldli

ter and apply the solution so obtained, which may contain a certain amount-of suspended matter, to the bark of afilictcd plants, while the scale is dormant or semi-dormant, in the manner usual for spraying with, for example, lime-sulfur solution. I have found lbs. to 24: lbs, but preferably 16 lbs., of the product of Example I to 50 gallons of Water tobe effective against this plant afiiiction. I have found by suitable experiment upon apple trees and upon peach trees when treated in this manner, that I killed from 98% to 100% of the-scale insects present.

Example 111 .48 am insecticide-wa against oyster shell scale.

. Treat 16 lbs. of the product of Example I with gallons of water and apply to the affected plants in the form of a spray during the dormant Season or preferably in the spring, just before vegetation starts. The amount of 16 lbs. will be found to be in general satisfactory but this amount may be varied as conditions require.

EwampZefV-As a fwngicideusing against appte seat and apple leaf spot.

Stir up from three to six pounds of the product of Example I in 50 gallons of water, and apply in the usual form of a spray to the fruit and foliage of the apple tree; this application is best repeated two or four times during the growing period, depending upon the seasonal and climatic conditions and the susceptibility of the particular I variety of tree treated.

Ewample V-Uombz'itation spray. I

and apple leaf spot, it will be,

codling moth, curculio and other or similar chewing insects.

It will be noted that the product of- Example I contains an amount of sulfur in insecticide in this specification and in the thereto attached claims to include also fungicide, and I mean to claim the use of this substance not only as an insecticide or as a fungicide but as both insecticide and fungicide as well.

When in the following claims I refer to a substance containing barium tetrasulfid I mean to include also the substance barium tetrasulfid itself.

When I speak of applying a solution to obnoxious insects, I intend to include in such expression the application to obnoxious vegetable growths, and also the application of the solution to a plant before the insect or spore has actually settled upon such plant, so that the solution will serve to kill the insect or spore when it arrives.

I claim 2 1. The improvement in the art of protecting plants against obnoxious insects which comprises applying to such plants a solution, the principal insecticidal ingredient of which is barium tetrasulfid, so that, upon evaporation of the solvent, the barium tetrasulfid remains as a coating upon the plant, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. An insecticide, the principal insecti cidal ingredient of which is barium tetrasulfid in condition suitable for admixture with water to form a spray solution, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand .in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CYRIL BACKUS CLARK.

Witnesses:

V ALFRED J. Nonrm,

. Jenn A. Fnneuson. 

